Receptacle closure and method of making



Feb. 7, 1939. -A. MEROLLE 2,146,587

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE AND METHOD OF MAKING Filed March 9, 1935 Patented Feb. 7 1939 PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE AND METHOD or 1 MAKING Augustus L. Merolle, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 9, 1935, Serial No. 10,135

12 Claims. (01/113-421) This invention relates to receptacle closures of the type commonly referred to as screw caps and includes novel constructions of such closures and a novel method of making the same.

The main object of the invention is to provide a strong, simple, efficient, reliable and inexpensively formed screw cap.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a'. screw cap wherein the marginalportion of the skirt isturned inwardly and upwardly about the entire cap whereby a raw edge at the bottom of the skirt is avoided and the upper extremity of the inturned portion forms a circumferential incline adapted to operate as a thread in engage ment with a thread upon the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screw cap with the marginal portion of the skirt turned inwardly about the entire cap whereby a raw edge at the bottom of the skirt is avoided and the upper extremity of a plurality of parts of said inturned portion has a plurality of circumferen tial inclines suitably distributed about the cap and adapted to co-operate with double, triple, quadruple or any desired number of threads upon the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a screw cap of .the character as indicated wherein the inturned marginal portion has, adjacent to the entrance of the receptacle thread upon an incline, an underset lower portion overhung by an upper portion providing a recess permitting the entrance of the said thread upon the incline.

A further object of the invention is to increase the length of thread engaging surface of the inturned marginal portion or portions for a given diameter of cap thereby increasing the strength and firmness of the engagement of the cap with the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a cap of the character indicated beads or corrugations or both appropriately located to strengthen and stiffen the cap thereby preventing danger of distortion of the cap in its use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing screw caps of the character as indicated.

Other and ancillary objects of the inventionwill appear hereinafter.

gular relationship in which the cap is adapted to be applied to the receptacle and the screwing-on operation indicated; v

Fig. 2 is a view of the apparatus of Fig. l'with the cap screwed home on the receptacle, the cap being shown in radial section with the receptacle in elevation, partly broken away to show the in- .side of the cap;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cap partly broken away and partly in section showing the beginning and end of the thread engaging incline on the inturned portion of the skirt;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a sheet metal blank from which the cap is formed;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the blank at an intermediate stage of the formation of the cap;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the completed cap;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line l--'l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a modified form of cap adapted for use with multiple threads;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a blank from whichthe cap of Fig. 8 is formed;

Fig.10 is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of a modified form. of cap; and

Fig. 11 is a similar view of a further modification.

Referring to the drawing, and first to Figs.- 1

to 7 inclusive, the cap comprises a top I and a depending marginal skirt portion '2. The marginal portion of the skirt is bent inwardly and This inwardly and upwardly within the skirt. upwardly bent portion comprises the upper portion 3 which overhangs an outwardly forcedportion 4, the upper portion 5 being bent outwardly and serves to space the inturned portion from .the skirt. The upper extremity of the inturned for the greater part of its circumference so thatwhen applied to the receptacle 8 it will engage with substantially the whole length of the single thread 1 upon the receptacle.

In applying the cap to the receptacle, it is placed upon the receptacle in the angular relationship as indicated in Fig. l and the cap turned clockwise when the end S-of the thread 1 will enter upon the incline 8 at it and as the turning of the cap is continued the incline 6 will wedge against the lower surface of the thread and draw the top of the neckof the receptacle. The recess formed beneath the overhanging portion 3 by the depression of the wall 4 provides a recess for, receiving the receptacle thread whereby it permits it to enter upon the incline 6. When the cap has been sufficiently turned (as indicated in Fig. 2) the cap will be in closed position the clearance between the top of the receptacle neck and the top of the cap being filled by suitable sealing disc or gasket. Of course the cap, like any screw cap, will be removed by turning it in the opposite, that is a left hand, direction.

. By the arrangement shown, with the recess formed beneath the part 5 by the depression of the wall 4', provision is made for the entry upon the thread incline of the closure thread notwithstanding the thread incline upon the cap (and also upon the receptacle).extends about practiportion I and the marginal depending skirt Zthe lower edgesof the skirt having the circumferential incline H the ends of which are joined by the short steep incline I2. This marginal portion of the skirt is then bent inwardly and upwardly into the position as shown in Fig. the upper part of the inturned portion being bent outwardly at 5 whereby the inner wall of the inturned portion is spaced from the outer wall of the skirt. An incline 6 at the upper extremity of the inturned portion corresponds to the incline ii of the blank of Fig. 4, the short steep incline l3 corresponding with the incline l2. The structure of Fig. 5 then has the lower portion 4 of its inturned portion forced outwardly at 5, the upper portion 3 of the inturned portion overhanging the wall 4, thereby providing a recess beneath the part 8 for the receptacle thread as has been before referred to. The cap is then completed as shown in Fig. 6 and is the same as shown in Figs..1, 2 and 3. It will be observed that the inwardly turned portion is bent upwardly about the circumferential line 20 whereby the lower extremity of the completed cap is substantially equi-distant from the top at all points. r

While the operation of turning in the marginal edge of the skirt as shownin Fig. 5 and then forcing the wall 4 outwardly may be performedvention but adapted for use with multiple threads.

The blank of Fig. 9, is similar to that of Fig. 4

of the receptacle threads upon said inclines whereby the threads are permitted to enter upon thoserinclines; This construction, it will be ebserved, permits thread'engaging inclines to occupy substantially the entire circumference 'of the skirt wherebysecurity and strength of the engagement of the cap with the receptacle is promoted.

Fig. 10 shows a modified construction which is similar to that of Figs; 1, 2 and 3 except that the .lower part of the inturned portion of the skirt together with the lower outerwall of the skirt are pushed outwardly to form an outwardly extend;

. ing bead I4 which strengthens the lower portion of'the skirt against-distortion and also provides a desirable finish for the cap. Also there may be provided adjacent the upper part of the skirt a circumferential groove l5 forming the bead l6 which strengthens the top portion of the cap against distortion and also provides a pleasing finish. The head i4 may be formed as an additional operation to those specified in connection with the formation of the cap of Figs. 1 to 3 or it may be formed in one operation with .the turning in of the marginal portion of the skirt.

The modification as shown in Fig. 11 is th same as shown in Fig. 10 except that the bead l6 and groove l5 are omitted and the strengthening and finish of the upper portion of the cap are provided by an externally extending bead l1 formed by the top overhanging the cylindrical walls E8 of the skirt. This head I! also provides a convenient finger hold in turning the cap and may if desired be provided with grooves or corrugations to facilitate the finger grip. Also the inturned portions of the cap may be stiffened and tions, each of the rolls formed by. the inturned marginal portions having, adjacent the beginning of the incline upon another of said portions, a lower part radially narrower than its upper part whereby said upper part radially overhangs said lower part and a recess is formed permitting the entranceof the receptacle thread upon the incline of the adjacent inturned portion.

2. A closure cap comprising a top and a marginal skirt depending therefrom, said marginal skirt being bent outwardly toform a bead at the lower edge of the cap;' and inwardly and upwardly inside the skirt, the upper extremity of said inturned portion being inclined circumferentially, said inturned portion having corrugations.

3. A closure cap comprising a top and a depending marginal skirt, the marginal portion of said skirt being bent inwardly and upwardly inside the skirt with its upper extremity circumferentially inclined and corrugations in said inturned portion.

4. A closure cap comprising a top and a marginal skirt depending therefrom, said marginal skirt being bent outwardly to form a bead at the lower edge of the cap, and inwardly and upwardly inside the skirt,- the upper. extremity of said inturned portion being inclined circumferentially, and said top overhanging the cylindrical sides of saidskirts 5. A closure cap comprising a top and a depending marginal skirt having cylindrical walls, the marginal portion of, said skirt being turned inwardly and upwardly inside the skirt and having its upper extremity circumferentially inclined, said top overhanging the cylindrical walls of said skirt.

6. A closure cap comprising a top and a marginal skirt depending therefrom having a marginal portion turned inwardly and upwardly inside the skirt with its upper extremity circumferentiallyinclined and said skirt having an inwardly extending bead in said skirt between the top and the inturned portion.

'7. The method of making a closure cap which consists in forming a blank comprising a top and 3. depending marginal skirt, the lower edge of the skirt having a circumferential incline, bending the marginal portion of said skirt throughout the entire circumference ofthe skirt, and inwardly and upwardly within the skirt andforming a thread engaging circumferential incline at the upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bent portion. 8. The method of making a closure cap which consists in forming a blank comprising a top and a depending marginal skirt,- the lower edge of the skirt having a circumferential incline extending about the greater part of the circumference .of the skirt, bending the marginal portion of said skirt throughout the entire circumference of the skirt and inwardly and upwardly within the skirt and forming a thread engaging circumferential incline extending about the greater part of the circumference of the skirt atthe upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bentportion.

9. The method of making a closure cap which consists in forming a blank comprising a top and a depending marginal skirt, the lower edgeof the skirt having a circumferential incline; bending the marginal portion of said skirt throughout the entire circumference of the skirt, inwardly and upwardly within the skirt, bending outwardly the marginal portion of the said upwardly bent portion, and forming a-thread engaging eircum-. "ferential incline at the upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bent portion,

10. The method of making a closure cap which consists in forming a blank comprising.a top and a depending marginal skirt, the lower edge of the skirt having a circumferential incline, bending the marginal portion of said skirt inwardly and upwardly within the skirt and forming a thread engaging circumferential incline at the upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bent portion and forcing outwardly the lower part of the said inwardly and upwardly bent portion adjacent the entrance thread uponsaid incline to permit the entrance of a. receptacle thread upon said incline.

11. The method of making a closure cap which consists in forming a blank comprising a top and a depending marginal skirt, the lower edge of the skirt having .a circumferential incline, bending the marginal portion of said skirt inwardly and upwardly within the skirt and forming a thread engaging circumferential incline at the upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bent por-. tion and forcing outwardly the lower part of the said inwardly and upwardly bent portion adjacent the entrance thread upon said incline to permit 'the entrance of a receptacle thread upon said clines, bending the marginal portion of the skirt inwardly and upwardly withinthe skirt and.

forming a plurality of thread engaging circum- I ferential inclines at the upper extremity of said inwardly and upwardly bent portion and forcing outwardly the lower-portion of said inturned portion adjacent the point of receptacle thread en- AUGUSTUS I... 3 

